MERLEY FOOTBALL CLUB
Providing a competitive but welcoming family environment where children can develop their football skills and grow as young people!
The club was founded in 1989 by Derek White and John Joyce, after a public meeting held at Flight Refuelling Social Club and attended by ten children and their parents. It was decided that the club would be called Merley Flights Youth Football Club and was made up initially of one Under 11’s team, which included children from the Merley Cubs team run by John Joyce. The clubs first match resulted in a 7-1 defeat away to Blandford, but as the season progressed the results turned around and the team won several matches at Merley First School (our long-standing home).
Merley Flights Youth FC evolved from one team to four teams (led by Derek White, Val Ashley, Dave Beale, and Martin Stevens), and then eventually into six teams (led by Bob Parkin and Rob Johnson). The club then required more pitches, and a decision was made to expand the home matches to include Fenners Field in the early 1990’s.
In 1996, the support from Flight Refuelling (our affiliated adult team) diminished and a decision was made to look for another affiliation. Several players from the original team were now playing for Merley Allendale FC adults, and the committee groups decided to merge, resulting in the youth team changing its name to Merley Allendale.
On 09th June 2002, Merley Allendale was awarded FA Charter Status, thanks to Jacqui Groves, Carol Wright, and Simon Wrixon. It was in 2010 that Merley Allendale became Merley Cobham Sports, affiliating with the adult team and Cobham Sports & Social Club. One last change was made a few years later, when the youth team separated into its own entity becoming Merley Cobham Sports Youth Football Club (albeit the two groups were still affiliated).
In August 2023, the club's new Chairman, Paul Dixie brought the club back to the community, by creating a new kit and club badge that has a modern and vibrant logo, representing both the clubs history with aviation and the clubs relationship with the overall community.
Below is a list of previous Chairman:
1989 – 1993 = Derek White
1993 – 1999 = Rob Johnson
1999 – 2001 = Paul Steel
2001 – 2002 = Simon Merry
2002 – 2002 = Ian Lourence
2002 – 2004 = Simon Wrixon
2004 – 2007 = Stewart McCutcheon
2007 – 2012 = Paul Whitty
2012 – 2013 = Lee Purton
2013 – 2014 = John Groves
2014 – 2014 = Martin Rendell
2015 – 2020 = Stuart Pitman
2020 – 2023 = Ben Oxland
2023 - 2026 = Paul Dixie
2026 - Date = Mike Wheeler